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16.10.13

Simple Chicken Biryani

Biryani is a rice-based dish made with spices, rice (usually
basmati) and chicken, mutton, fish, eggs, or vegetables. The name is derived
from the Persian word beryā(n), which means "fried" or
"roasted". Biryani was
believed to have been invented in the kitchen of the Muslim Mughal Emperors. The
difference between biryani and pulao is that while pulao may be made by cooking
the items together, biryani denotes a dish where the rice is cooked separately
from the gravy. The curry and the rice are then brought together and layered,
resulting in a dish of the contrasting flavours of flavoured rice (which is
cooked separate with spices) and intensely flavoured meat or vegetables. This separation is partly
of necessity. The proportion of meat/vegetables to the rice is high enough to
make biryani a one-dish meal. In a properly made biryani, the final dish is dry
or minimally moist, with the individual rice grains separate. However, many
biryani recipes call for the rice to be cooked for three-quarters of the usual
time, followed by layering with the meat/vegetable base, and then a final
slow-steaming (Dum) until fully done. This approach allows the flavors to blend
well. There are various types of biryani like Hyderabadi, Lucknowi, Awadh, Andhra style, Kerala style etc., I have tried various biryanis as my family loves biryani. The below one is a quick biryani when you have no time for elaborate preparations. Even though it seems complicated, this is a very very simple yet yummy biryani.

Heat a pan with ghee or oil and fry the onions till crisp and brown
(brishta)

Step 3

Wash the rice and soak for 10 minutes.

Heat a deep vessel with ghee or oil.

Add whole garam masala, fry for 1 minute till you get the aroma of the
spices.

Add the rice and fry (careful not to break the grains) till coated with
spices and ghee

Add sufficient water and cook the rice till ¾done (¾ cooked
rice means, you should be able to feel a slight grain and the rice should be
quite firm when you press a grain of not fully cooked rice with your fingers). Drain
and divide the rice into two.

Pour a teaspoon of ghee on both the divided rice. To one add food color (or you can add saffron
soaked in milk) mix till the color is blended and keep both sections of the
rice aside.

Step 4

(Layering)

Take a deep bottom vessel.

Pour 1 tablespoon of hot ghee or oil.

Place ½ the potatoes at the bottom of the vessel

Add the ½ the quantity of chicken pieces on top of it.

Spread some fried onions on top of it.

Add some chopped coriander/mint on
it

1 – 2 slit green chillies

Add the white rice (you can discard the whole spices if you want)

Top with chicken and potatoes

Add some more fried onions, chopped mint/coriander, few cashew/raisins

Place the colored rice on top.

Spread the balance onions, mint/coriander, cashews, raisins on top.

Cover the vessel. Seal the edges (I sealed
with foil paper).

Place a tawa on gas and then place the vessel on top of it and let it cook
on dum for 15-20 minutes.